


It Should Say 'Girlfriend'

by FleetofShippyShips



Series: Prompted Harry Potter Works [63]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Don't copy to another site, F/F, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 14:28:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19907215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetofShippyShips/pseuds/FleetofShippyShips
Summary: Pansy gets a custom shirt made, Hermione is not impressed.





	It Should Say 'Girlfriend'

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted during an ask game, prompt: 'Silent Fury'

Hermione was seething with silent fury.

It was a good look. 

Pansy should probably feel more concerned. She should probably be running for her life, but even if Hermione did have a reputation for her cutting anger, she’d been all bark and no bite with Pansy for months now. 

“This isn’t funny,” Hermione said, clearly misreading Pansy’s expression. “This is…it’s…it’s _offensive_!”

Pansy looked down at her own t-shirt, brushing her fingers over the bold lettering.

_Proud of my muggle-born friend._

It probably was offensive to draw attention to Hermione’s heritage, and with that somewhat unwise wording, but some of the people in her house needed the reminder that Pansy wouldn’t tolerate their whispers. Nor was she going to stomach their assumption she was friends with Hermione for social gain in this frightening post-war political climate.

She looked back up and checked Hermione’s expression. It had been a long time since she’d actively pushed back against her anger, preferring instead to just let it wash over her, enjoying the heat of it now that it came without any serious bite.

She enjoyed the undercurrent of what that meant, even if she wished Hermione would act on it already. Their bickering and fighting was fun, but it was like being wound up over and over without any release of pressure. She was sure that soon she would explode, uncontrolled and wild.

Now was as good a time as any to finally push back a little, even if the topic was not the wisest one to push. Better than later without any control at all.

“Yes, it should say ‘girlfriend’ instead,” she purred. “What’s really offensive is that you haven’t acted on your feelings yet. So unkind to yourself, denying yourself what you want. But I’m patient. I can wait.”

Hermione’s fury morphed swiftly into shock, then outrage, then confusion. Pansy watched her twisting, changing expressions. No one quite kept Hermione on her toes like Pansy did, and she enjoyed it far more than she should.

This was more delicate than she was giving it credit, really, and it could blow up in her face and ruin everything. 

Maybe she hadn’t changed as much as she liked to think she had, deliberately baiting her like that when it could go so wrong.

“You arrogance is so…so…I can’t _believe_ you,” Hermione said, her voice shrill and shaking. 

Pansy let it wash over her. “Am I wrong then?” she asked. Pointless, she knew she wasn’t. Hermione was many things, and so incredibly intelligent, but she was absolute shit at hiding her feelings about anything, or anyone.

There was another wave of shifting expressions, before Hermione pointed a finger sharply at Pansy’s chest.

“Don’t wear that in public,” she hissed. “I’m not your ‘muggle-born’ friend. I am more than my blood!”

“Of course,” Pansy said quickly, soothingly. She stepped closer, until Hermione’s fingertip touched her chest. She lifted a hand and drifted it along the inside of Hermione’s arm, until her fingertips brushed over the raised bumps of the scarred words she never tried to hide. “You’re not that to me, but some people need the reminder. This is for them.”

Just like Hermione displaying her scars was for everyone who needed the reminder she wasn’t cowed by her blood status.

Hermione’s nostrils flared, and Pansy was more excited than she should be at the prospect of Hermione yelling at her so close. She really ought to examine why she enjoyed Hermione rage so much.

“I don’t need you campaigning for my acceptance with that bunch of backwards, prejudiced _snakes_ ,” she hissed. “I don’t care what they think of me.”

“I care what they think of you.”

Hermione exhaled loudly. “Well, don’t.”

“Oh, it’s rather too late for that,” Pansy said with a false laugh. 

When Hermione’s gaze dropped to the words on her chest, Pansy held her breath. Some part of her must like that Pansy stood up for her. As independent as she was, and even though she was so scornful of anyone defending her, she _must_ like it, just a little. The proof that Pansy cared.

“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” Hermione muttered, pulling her arm free and stepping back. “I smacked Ron yesterday for something he said about you.”

Pansy perked up. “Oh?” She would have loved to see that.

“Don’t let it go to your head.”

“Too late,” Pansy said, her lips twitching into a smile.

Hermione frowned at her. Pansy decided to let it go for now.

“I suppose I better go take this off then,” she said. “Meet you in the library later?”

“I’ll save you a seat,” Hermione said, her relief palpable.

Pansy shook her head as she wandered off. So intelligent, but so awful with feelings. 

But Pansy was patient. She could wait.

**Author's Note:**

> **This is a completed work and I will not be writing more. Please do not ask me to write more or otherwise mention 'sequel' in the comments.**


End file.
